Kiwanis Club Members Mark 75th Anniversary Of Service

The Kiwanis Club of Allentown celebrated its 75th anniversary last night at the Allentown Hilton.

Guest speakers and fellow members congratulated the service organization for a job well done.

"You can't save the whole world from famine, but you can save one child from starving," said member Robert Johnson in his speech. "We are grateful that we can help."

Mayor Joseph Daddona proclaimed that yesterday was the 75th birthday of the Kiwanis Club of Allentown in a short speech. State Sen. Roy Afflerbach gave the club a commemorative citation for its good deeds and "that spirit of making a difference."

The Kiwanis Club made its first mark during World War I, shortly after it formed in May 1918. In one day, members sold $1.2 million in Liberty Bonds to support the war effort.

In the roaring 20s, the club helped build a library in the Lehigh County Prison, where the most-read book was "The Way Out."

In 1952, members set up a $25,000 stock fund, which now earns $20,000 annual interest that is donated to charities.

Members set up a stage door canteen at the Allentown Fairgrounds, where the U.S. Coast Guard trained dogs during World War II. Also during this time, they raised $11,000 for the Boy Scouts in a newspaper drive that filled 11 railroad cars with newspapers.

More recently, members donated $50,000 to Casa Guadalupe, a Hispanic community center.

In 1987, they joined the rest of the nation's once exclusively male clubs by admitting women. Today, women make up 10 percent of the membership. And next month, the club will welcome its first female president, Ellen Kern, and second female vice-president, Suzanne Kresge.

The club also changed membership requirements with the times. The membership that was once only open to business professionals is now open to people from all walks of life.

"The Kiwanis is promoting a totally inclusive society regardless of race and gender," said member Robert McCaffrey. "We want to move forward with progress in society to promote the betterment of all human kind."

This year, they plan to serve dinner to 50 homeless people at Lion's Hall and clean up American Parkway. They continue to reward Cleveland Elementary students who improve their grades by at least a letter.